West Chester’s plan to spray against mosquitoes sparks controversy | Local News

WEST CHESTER – While a mosquito bite can sometimes seem like little more than an annoyance, these pesky insects sometimes cause the spread of disease.

In a bid to limit the spread of West Nile virus by mosquitoes, on Tuesday evening, Mayor Jordan Norley addressed the public works committee on how best to prevent biting adult mosquitoes.

Rather than the Chester County Health Department spraying mosquitoes with flying insects, Norley and the West Chester Green Team are looking for other strategies. The Core Green Team coverage area includes those served by the West Chester Region School District.

Margaret Hudgings is co-founder and president-elect of the Green Team and favors other mosquito control methods over spraying.

“We, as a society, have become tolerant of poison,” she said. “We even allow poison in baby food.

“As Jane Goodall says, someday we’ll come back to this dark age of farming and shake our heads. How could we have believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons? “

The health service has not sprayed this year or since 2018.

Much like the Chester County Department of Health, the Green Team and Norley advocate the removal of standing water when possible, and if not, the use of mosquito dunks.

Removing standing water is a very important strategy for controlling mosquitoes and eliminating potential breeding habitat, as mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water.

Mosquito dunks are placed in standing water and kill mosquitoes in the larval stage. Dunks are made up of naturally occurring bacteria that are not harmful to pets, other animals, aquatic life, plants, or humans.

Dunks are available for purchase at local lawn and garden supply stores.

According to a county official, the Chester County Health Department is considering the possibility of spraying against adult mosquitoes when the risk to public health is “unacceptably high.” Spray decisions for adult mosquitoes are based on multiple factors such as the mosquito population and the presence of West Nile virus in the mosquito population and / or humans.

The health department regularly conducts mosquito surveillance throughout the county. These mosquitoes are systematically analyzed by a laboratory for West Nile virus

The green team enlisted seven neighborhood captains and 20 other volunteers to spread the word through education and a borough program to distribute free mosquito dunks. The organization is considering a door-to-door campaign and is again distributing more informative door-to-door posters.

Norley noted that residents are not permitted to place dunks on public property and the property of other owners without permission.

Borough manager Mike Perrone told Norley there is no official mosquito control policy in the borough, while committee chair Don Braceland said the borough must be flexible.

The borough has been very busy adding concrete to hundreds of storm sewer boxes that otherwise hold water. The borough has also identified several low areas which include a pond and a swimming pool, while retaining water.

The Chester County website (chesco.org) states that spraying adult mosquitoes is only done as a last resort after exhausting all other mosquito control strategies.

The Mosquito-Borne Disease Health Services Program monitors mosquito populations to control the spread of West Nile virus and investigates West Nile virus infections among residents.

“West Nile virus is a virus transmitted by mosquitoes that can cause fever, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord),” the report reads. website.

The virus is most often spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and cannot be passed from person to person or person to animal.

“Most people (70-80%) infected with WNV do not develop any symptoms,” according to the website. “If present, symptoms of WNV usually appear 2 to 14 days after the mosquito bite.

“About one in five infected people will develop a fever and possibly headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Most people with these symptoms make a full recovery, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months.

Only a small number of infected people suffer from a major disability.

“Less than 1% of those infected will develop a serious neurological disease such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissue),” according to the county website. “It can take weeks or months to recover from a serious illness. Some of the neurological effects can be permanent.

“Only about 10% of people who develop a neurological infection from WNV will die. “

“Serious illness can occur in people of any age. However, people over the age of 60 are most at risk for serious illness. People with certain medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and people who have received organ transplants are also at higher risk for serious illness. “

A press release issued by the county ahead of the spraying: “The Chester County Health Department is advising residents and municipal staff in designated spray areas 48 hours in advance through a press release. , and also notify beekeepers and registered residents who are listed as hypersensitive and in or within 500 feet of a designated spray area.

The potential for exposure can be reduced by staying indoors when an area is sprayed.

The Department of Health recommends the following when it comes to treating standing water:

• Cover or empty containers such as garbage cans, wading pools, wheelbarrows and pots.

• Turn containers over when not in use so they do not accumulate.

• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers.

• Get rid of old tires.

• Change the water in birdbaths every three to five days.

• Check storm drains, window wells and under leaky faucets for standing water.

• Clean the gutters every year.

• Ventilate and / or fill ornamental ponds and fish fountains.

• Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated. Make sure that water does not collect on the pool covers.

• Treat a pool of standing water that cannot be drained with mosquito repellent dunks.

“Mosquitoes are a pest in our community at best, and at worst, they are a vehicle for dangerous viruses and a justification for poisoning our children with misguided government policy,” said Mayor Norley. “Even a few cases of West Nile virus are enough for state guidelines to enact harmful sprays throughout West Chester, so it’s our job to keep mosquito counts low through preventative measures and environmentally friendly such as larvicides.

“Our goal is to identify problem areas, continue to educate the public, and establish a larvicide application policy that continues to mitigate mosquito populations into the future. “

For more information, visit https://www.chesco.org/868/West-Nile-Virus For more information on obtaining free borough dunks, visit www.west-chester.com